Pieces of Me
by morethanmyself
Summary: I loved him across eons and ages; I loved him beyond all reason and bounds, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was the same for him. But it just wasn't enough. An 11 part novella about broken hearts and finding the missing pieces. AH
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is something I wrote for my friend and pre-reader, KrisScott's birthday, using her prompt of "star-crossed lovers and smut". I got the star-crossed lovers part down, but unfortunately the plot got in the way of the smut (which may be a first in the history of FF, lol).

This is really more of a novella told in 11 parts; the chapters are very short, most around 900-1K words, this one is the shortest at 650 words. It's all pre-written and beta'd, and I'll be updating 2-3 times a week, but not on a set schedule.

The story has made people cry, so keep some Kleenex handy, just in case.

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><p><span>Pieces of Me<span>

Part 1

I knew I shouldn't want him, or at least, that I shouldn't have him, but that didn't stop me, not once. When he called, I answered, and I hated us both just a little bit more every time. Because when this all blew up in our faces, and it was inevitable that it would, I was going to lose him, and the best parts of me would go with him.

*~*PoM*~*

"Fuck, Edward! Yes!" I screamed, my body overcome with pleasure, every nerve ending on fire, searching, reaching, as he continued to pound into me. He leaned forward, nipping at my neck; his arm wrapped around my waist, his other hand pressing against my clit, causing me to rear back and meet him thrust for thrust.

"Come for me, Bella, please. I...you..._please_," he panted incoherently in my ear.

It was the 'please' that did me in, the desperation in his voice, knowing that he was as hungry as I was. I exploded around him, tightening until he was groaning out his own release.

He collapsed beside me, immediately pulling me towards him. The heat and sweat rolling off our bodies didn't deter us in the least. Our time inside this room was limited; we wouldn't waste a moment of it separated by even a couple of inches.

The first time I met Edward Cullen I had no idea who he was. I liked to think if I had known, I would have walked away without a word. But I knew deep down that it wouldn't have mattered; we would have ended up exactly where we were eventually. There was something about the way he made me feel that felt timeless and infinite, bigger than either of us. I had never thought much about questions of faith or origin before, the only things that mattered were tangible and corporeal. But one touch from Edward and I knew that I had loved him before, and I would love him again - these bodies were just a single stop on a journey of a thousand lifetimes. I was born to love this man, and I would die only to love him again.

And when I realized that he was the one man completely forbidden to me, that belief was the only thing that comforted me. If we couldn't have this lifetime, then surely we would have the next.

"Love?" his voice whispered against my skin, as he nuzzled into my neck.

"Sorry...I..." I trailed off. But he already knew, which was why he pulled me out of my thoughts. There was an unspoken rule that inside this room, for the brief reprieve we were granted, there was no thoughts of what kept us apart. No thoughts of our deep betrayal, no thoughts of the ghosts who had been granted dominion over our lives.

"We'll figure something out. Please, don't be sad. I don't ever want to see you worried or sad; it kills me," he begged.

And I understood, because I felt the same, which was why it was so easy to set aside the searing pain in my heart, knowing our time was coming to a close. So, with a passable smile plastered to my face, I looked up at him. "I know, it's just hard. But you're right, we'll figure it out."

He tightened his hold on me, kissing me deeply, and we lost ourselves in each other for a few more precious minutes until the alarm on his phone began to toll the death knell on another stolen afternoon, and we showered together, washing away the evidence of our selfishness. And we began to dress, every article of clothing becoming another piece of the masks we were forced to wear on the outside, while on the inside, we burned and loved and longed.

And then we left the room, just as we had entered: separately.

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><p>AN: Initial thoughts and reactions? I would love to know what you guys think!

I will do my best to respond to review replies, but as far as I know, FFn's review reply system is still down and they have to be done by PM, which is tedious. If I miss you, please know that I appreciate every single review, even if you just want to tell me you think the story sucks (but please don't say it like that, because I will cry).

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 and Sammielynnsmom for their suggestions and KrisScott for the prompt!

See y'all back here in a few days! I own nothing. ~Kimberly


	2. Chapter 2

Pieces of Me

Part 2

Rosalie Swan was loved by many people. Even all the years later when I followed her footsteps through the education system in Forks, I would have at least one teacher every year who would tell me how smart she was, how beautiful, how full of life, and how very sorry they were that she was gone. She married her high school sweetheart, Emmett Cullen, right after graduation. I was a flower girl at their wedding. I found the video of it once and watched in secret, mesmerized by my chubby four-year-old legs carrying me down the aisle. Later, the camera panned to me standing next to her, staring up at her with adoration plain for all to see.

I was a late-in-life baby, completely unexpected, but never loved less for it. My sister was fifteen years older than I was, and she was largely a mystery to me. The only truly clear memory I had was sitting with her in the hospital after she had my niece, Alice. I remember that she looked as sweaty and tired as I'd ever seen her, but that her smile made my six-year-old heart swell with love for her and the tiny baby resting in her arms. It was also probably the only real memory I had of her husband, Edward's cousin; he stood to the side, his large hands resting gently on her shoulder, gazing down at his wife and child with tears in his eyes. Their love for one another was evident, even to me as a little kid, and as an adult, I was positive they would have been horrified with the anger and bitterness that was left as their legacy.

*~*PoM*~*

I had stayed in Chicago all summer, under the guise of taking classes to bolster my application to the Master's program. I had informed my parents back in February of the change in my schedule, just weeks after I had met Edward and discovered that I couldn't stay away from him, despite the painful history we shared. My parents were disappointed but understanding, proud of my accomplishments and ambitions.

In reality, my reasons were selfish and short-sighted - I couldn't imagine being away from Edward. Even though we could only see each other infrequently because his entire family lived here, I still felt an inexplicable need to be _near_ him. Just knowing that we stopped at the same coffee shop at different times of day, and that we shopped at the same grocery store, was enough to make me feel connected to him. And I had to take the connections where I could get them.

For the last sixteen years, I had dealt with my grief on my own, my parents unable to truly understand what it was like for me to mourn for a sister that I couldn't remember and a niece I had only briefly met. My sister was gone forever, her life spilled on the side of the road, but I was not sure that was the larger tragedy. My niece was still very much alive, living a life we were not allowed to be a part of, growing up without the knowledge that she had a whole other set of people who loved and missed her every day. Until I met Edward, I hadn't even known that she was happy and loved; I hadn't known that she looked like a perfect match between my sister and her husband. In some strange way, being near him gave me a connection to my sister, something I'd never had but always longed for.

Despite all the differences in our experience of this shared tragedy, Edward was the most understanding of the ways that this time of year hurt. It wasn't just that Rosalie wasn't here, it was that I felt guilty for not remembering, unable to return the sad, knowing smiles of my parents, unable to share funny stories or meaningful memories. I was merely an observer for this event that had shaped and scarred my family. She was nothing but a ghost to me, a shadowy form watching over us, reminding us daily of her absence.

Edward understood because he mourned for a cousin whose memory was larger than life, taken at the same moment, in the same accident as his wife, but who was equally as unknown to him as my sister was to me. He also dealt with the presence of Alice who was a constant reminder of the man gone. Even though I was jealous of him _having_ someone to remind him, I knew it was a double edged sword. I never let myself forget that.

We had only briefly discussed what it was like growing up in the shadow of people who were gone from our lives, leaving behind wounds deep and seeping, never truly healing. The anger and bitterness our families felt towards each other colored our perceptions of the events too heavily for us to talk about the specifics. I thought, too, that with only this secret support of each other, it was too hard to confront the demons on our own, to look at the events that led up to the accident and the legal battle afterward for custody of Alice. There was a certainty between us that both of our families were at fault, but without each other to fall back on, being objective about it would have destroyed us. As flawed as the versions of reality we had been taught growing up were, they were still the only realities we had known.

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><p>AN: The response to the first part was just amazing, thank you all so much! Everyone had very interesting theories about who Bella and Edward were and why they couldn't be together. Hopefully this one helped clear that up. I would love to know what you guys think!

~Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for betaing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading, and KrisScott for the prompt!

~If you're looking for a longer fic to read, check out Sammielynnsmom's "Meeting Myself", it's really good (and I'm not just saying that because I pre-read for her and know what's going to happen, lol).

Next update, let's say Sunday or Monday. I own nothing! ~Kimberly


	3. Chapter 3

Pieces of Me

Part 3

My break between Summer and Fall semesters coincided with the anniversary of the accident, and my parents were insistent that I come home. I had never missed it before, and there were traditions to uphold. We would spend the day with my parents talking quietly about Rosalie, we would eat her favorite foods, we would bring flowers to hers and Emmett's graves, we would talk about what we thought Alice might be like. It was a strange feeling, the one day a year they actively acknowledged my sister's ghost and let her roam free through their thoughts instead of relegating her to a corner as they pretended to get on with their lives.

As vaguely discomfiting and unsettling as it was to witness their grief, I would never have taken that away from them. They needed that time to hold onto her memory, to assert that she had existed, and she was missed. It had never before occurred to me to put my comfort above theirs. Except this year when the guilt began eating away at me sometime in early July, and the thought of being forced to acknowledge my betrayal caused nightmares and panic attacks.

*~*PoM*~*

As the summer marched closer towards August, both Edward and I became even more desperate when we met, almost to the point of being feral. The heartache and confusion was palpable between us, the painful knowledge that life was fleeting and delicate. The coming anniversary was a constant reminder that despite our desire to find a way, fate could intervene any minute and end our chance for this lifetime permanently and irrevocably.

So we clung to one another, his arms wrapped around my torso, face pressed firmly against my neck, my hands clawing at his shoulders, keeping him flush against me. His strokes were forceful and meaningful, using his body to show me just how much he needed me, just how far I was inside _him_, and that he wanted to be that far inside of me. And I cried silently against his neck, my arms shaking with the strength I exerted to hang on to him, unable to contain the love and passion pouring from me, from him, and between us; it was overwhelming and unbearable.

"Baby," Edward's voice cut through the whirlwind of my mind, clouded with equal parts euphoria from my orgasm and despair from the guilt. "What's wrong?"

I just cried harder against his bare chest. His arms were still wrapped around me, and he ran his hands up and down my spine, the soothing tenderness eventually calming my tears. When I finally pulled away and wiped my face with the sheet, I glanced up at him. The sadness etched in the lines around his eyes and mouth made my chest ache. If I had anymore tears to cry right then, I would have.

"I was thinking," he began, "what if I could find a way for you to meet Alice? I mean, obviously, we couldn't tell her...anything, but if you just talked to her for a bit, that would be okay, right?"

To say I was speechless would be an understatement. So many emotions and thoughts collided inside my head. _I could meet my niece. It would be a huge betrayal of my parents. What's one more at this point? Why now...why not six months ago?_ All I could do was stare at Edward, I'm not sure I even breathed.

"Love...say something. Please."

"I don't know what to say," I faltered. "I mean, yes, I would love nothing more than to meet her, but what if she figures out who I am and tells your family? Or what if it gets back to my parents? That would be..." I trailed off, unable to speak aloud the consequences. I would lose him; that was what would happen.

"Bella, what I said at the beginning still stands. If you want to tell them, we can. There's no choice for me; it's you, always."

I shook my head vehemently. "I can't do that to my parents. I'm all they have left. They lost everything else that night. And to tell them it's you? I can't even imagine what that would do to them."

He immediately stiffened beside me, and I knew I'd hurt him, but it was the truth, and I couldn't make it otherwise. "I'm sorry. I wish it was different. This is just so fucking unfair. I...I wish it was different," I finished in a lame whisper.

But it was too late to save the afternoon. Edward moved from the bed angrily, shoving his legs into his pants and jerking his shirt over his head. He stood beside the bed, staring down where I laid with guilt eating away at me for all the things I was doing and not doing, and all the things I wished I could do instead. His eyes were flashing hurt and anger and sadness, so much sadness.

"It could be different, though. We wouldn't be relegated to a fucking hotel room every couple of weeks and secret phone calls and emails. We are doing _nothing_ wrong! Loving each other isn't shameful, but you're hiding us like it's some dirty secret."

And _this_ was why we didn't talk about anything while we were here. Nothing would come from it, nothing could or would change. I couldn't even look at him, knowing how badly he was hurting, especially to have raised his voice at me.

"And you have nothing to say? No answer at all?" he said between clenched teeth, his frustration evident.

"What is it that you want me to say?" I said evenly. "I can't tell you that I'll turn my back on my parents; I can't tell you that I'll leave them, because I _can't._ I want you so fucking much; I want to tell everyone how much I love you. I don't _want_ this to be a secret, but I don't see any other choice. My parents will _never_ accept you, Edward. _Never_. They blame your family for Rosalie's death; they hate them for taking Alice. If they don't know, then at least they don't know how much I'm hurting them. Once I tell them...there's only one way for that to end."

"But you aren't even trying." He sounded so defeated. "You haven't even given them the chance to say anything. Maybe they'd surprise you, maybe they'd want you happy. I'm not asking you to give them up. I'm not taking you from them."

He sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from me, his fingers running roughly through his hair.

"And what if they tell me _I_ have to choose? Then what? Or what if your family makes _you_ choose? You'd just walk away without a second glace?"

"In a heartbeat, Bella. Like I said, it's not a choice for me."

"And then you'd be taking yourself away from Alice; you'd be hurting her, too. Out of everyone in this fucked up situation, she's the one who least deserves it."

He tried to interrupt me to argue, but I went on, "Don't you see? No matter what we do, someone gets hurt, someone loses. If you have to choose, your family still has each other. What about my parents, though? They have one another, that's it. There are no aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents. There's no one else. I just can't be that selfish and turn my back on them just for something I want, even if I want it with my whole heart."

I stared at his back, willing him to turn around, willing him to understand. But he stood without looking at me again and walked towards the door. "And what about what I want?" he said, and then closed the door with a final click behind him.

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><p>AN: So, what do you guys think? Are they truly victims of circumstance or just stubborn? I really love reading everyone's opinions and thoughts. Thank you guys so much for the response to the story so far!

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading, and KrisScott for the prompt.

If you want a complete story that's angsty and told in short chapters like this one, check out "See You Again" by Mrs(dot)Robward (replace the (dot) with a period, FFn won't let me type it out correctly). It made me cry, but it was so good!

Next update, let's say Wednesday. I don't own anything. Until next time ~Kimberly


	4. Chapter 4

Pieces of Me

Part 4

By the time I had booked my ticket to return to Forks, I was completely consumed with guilt. I couldn't go home and look at my parents, watching them grieve the loss of not just my sister, but her child as well, knowing that I was taking comfort from Edward. He was as blameless as I was in the mess that became the custody battle of Alice and the subsequent finger pointing for every decision that Rosalie and Emmett ever made that led them to be on that particular stretch of road on that particular night. But he was still a symbol of everything that had been ripped from my parents. No matter how I sugar coated it and dressed it up, no matter what my heart said, I was betraying my parents in the coldest, most heartless way.

*~*PoM*~*

It only took a couple of days for us to cool off and apologize for the pain we had caused each other. I noticed that neither of us actually apologized for the things we had said, nor the actual argument. We were at a complete impasse, but neither of us was trying to be hurtful.

Edward kept saying that he loved me and that was all that mattered. I didn't know how to tell him that love wasn't enough, because if we only needed love, then we would have been golden. I loved him across eons and ages; I loved him beyond all reason and bounds, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was the same for him. But it just wasn't enough. It would never be enough, not to justify what it would do to our families if they found out. Our relationship would be salt in the never-healing wounds of my sister's and Emmett's deaths. And the idea of _this_ being reduced to another weapon for them to use against one another was too painful to even consider.

All too soon, it was the day before I had to leave to go home, back to Forks, and Edward and I were once again meeting at our usual hotel. The moment I walked into the room, something felt off. There had been no discussion about it, but I think we both knew that this was what it was coming to, there was no where left for us to go. Every touch felt like goodbye, every kiss was a thank you, every whisper of lips on skin was an I love you. And I didn't fight it; I let go and gave in. There was a sense of determination between the two of us - if this was going to be it, it was going to be mind blowing.

I had never felt so worshipped and adored, so loved and cared for...or so thoroughly fucked. And in return, I have never been so insistent and demanding, so intent on making sure there was no doubt in Edward's mind what he did to me and what I wanted to do to him.

There were no words beyond the screams and sighs of pleasure. There was nothing left to say that hadn't already been said. And despite wanting to fight with him and argue, I couldn't. We could either part like this, with nothing but absolute love between us, or we could part later on, angry and bitter over something that couldn't be changed.

When it was over, when we lay beside each other, completely spent, but no where near sated, the sadness and loss became palpable. Edward held me in his arms, pressing me to him to the point of pain and making it hard to breathe, but I couldn't get close enough. I wanted to crawl inside his skin; I wanted him to carry me around always, two as one, inseparable.

He didn't set his alarm, and we didn't make love again. We spent the whole night holding each other, doing the one thing we'd never dared before. We didn't part until the sun began to shine timid and faint through the curtains, as if it were afraid of what was to come and sorry to announce the end.

I slipped on my clothes from the night before and quickly brushed my teeth before running my fingers through my hair to remove some of the tangles. I still had to go home to get my suitcase before my flight. Edward sat on the bed, watching me intently, like he was trying to memorize every movement, every breath.

And when I could stall no longer, I sat beside him on the bed. "I wish..." I began, but trailed off. It didn't matter what I wished. All I could hope for was that the next lifetime would be better, that we would be deliriously happy and perfectly content when we met again. Because I still had faith that we would. We were forever.

Edward leaned towards me, kissing my forehead, while simultaneously wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes with his thumbs. "I love you," he whispered.

I nodded, because there was no doubt of that. "I love you, too."

I felt him nod against my shoulder; he also never doubted me.

And then I walked away, leaving behind my heart and all the best of me.

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><p>AN: So...are you guys still with me? How are you holding up? Don't worry, we're only about ⅓ of the way through - the story isn't over by any means!

I'm hoping this chapter cleared up any remaining confusion about the whole accident/custody battle back-story. Basically, no one was at fault for the accident but in their grief the two families began to blame each other, convincing themselves there was something the other could have done to prevent it. That blame fed into the custody battle, fueling their animosity towards each other. Once the Cullens gained custody of Alice, they took her away from Forks and the Swans. Bella has grown up witnessing her parents' grief over the loss of Rosalie and Alice and their hatred of the Cullens and truly believing that there is no hope for any kind of reconciliation or acceptance.

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading, and KrisScott for the prompt.

Next update Friday! I own nothing. Until next time ~Kimberly


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Slight change in plans for posting. I'm going to just post a chapter a day until it's all up. I would put it all up at once, but I don't want to flood people's inboxes with so many emails. Since the chapters will post so quickly, I won't be sending out teasers with review replies. :) ~Kimberly

Pieces of Me

Part 5

Seeing my parents was an visceral reminder of why things had to be this way. My somber exterior hid the absolute devastation burning through me, but it was easy enough to pass off because of the anniversary. I was able to avoid what would have otherwise been the intense interrogation from my mother on why I wasn't eating and why I kept having nightmares. This year, when my parents gave me sad, knowing smiles, I returned them, even if not for the same reason they gave them. I had always felt like an outsider in my own family, not having the same gaping wound that my parents shared. Now we had matching scars, even if mine were much more recent.

*~*PoM*~*

I wasn't strong enough to completely close Edward off, to remove any way for him to communicate with me. But he was strong enough for the both of us, because he didn't try.

The first week in Forks I checked my phone obsessively for missed phone calls or texts, and I was just as compulsive about my email. I would sometimes wake from a dream and imagine that I heard him calling my name. Those were the hardest nights, the ones were his voice would chase me from sleep to waking, fading into nothingness the moment I was fully conscious. I imagined I could still smell him on my skin. He was so deep inside me, so tightly bound to me, that there was no escaping him. It was the most bittersweet torture.

There wasn't a single minute, a single breath, a single heartbeat that I didn't miss him. I had never truly had him, he was never fully mine, and yet in all the ways that counted, I knew he always would be. I never blamed him, not once, because I truly understood where he was coming from. If my family had been different, if there had been just one person there for my parents, I would have been able to choose Edward without hesitation, knowing that there was _someone_ for them to lean on. But it wasn't different, and despite his frustration with my refusal to put us ahead of my parents, I think he understood where I was coming from, too.

I never doubted that this hurt him as much as it did me. That thought was actually the one that brought me the closest to breaking, the closest to putting my selfishness first. As ashamed as it made me, I knew if this had happened while I was in Chicago, I would have given in. But being here, in the presence of my parents and being privy to their pain bolstered my resolve.

We had finally made it past the anniversary, and my parents spent the next couple of days re-shelving their sadness until next year. It was right at halfway through break, when my mom began to notice that I wasn't shaking off the mourning like they were. Despite my best efforts to smile and laugh, everything felt hallow, knowing that the one person I wanted to share it with was off-limits.

"Sweetheart, do you want to talk about it?" my mother asked gently.

"There's nothing to talk about," I said, giving her an empty smile.

"Okay, if you change your mind, you know I'll listen," she reminded me, kissing my head lightly before going back to cooking dinner, giving me space.

I left the kitchen, retreating to my room. For the first time in my life, I felt something besides ambivalence towards my sister; I was angry. I knew it wasn't her fault, but if she were here, nothing could have kept me from Edward. If they had just stayed in Seattle that night instead of trying to drive back late and tired on wet roads, none of this would have happened. But being pissed at someone who wasn't there was as futile as wishing things were different.

The rest of break went by in a haze - my mother waited for me to let her in, my dad tried to distract me, and I continued to miss Edward almost more than I could bear. I finally stopped compulsively checking to see if he had contacted me, having accepted that he wasn't going to, and knowing it was for the best.

I got back to Chicago just before classes started, and I had never been so grateful for the distraction of school and friends. After the intense summer spent consumed by Edward, it was a relief to have something to fill the time. I didn't miss him any less, but unlike the last three weeks at home, I had very little time to dwell on it.

And I was resigned that this was my life from now on, this is who I was without him, and the only thing I could do was learn to live with only half myself and this shell of a heart.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! Be sure to let me know what you think. :)

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	6. Chapter 6

Pieces of Me

Part 6

Growing up, I always loved fairy tales and princesses, loving the idea of a happily-ever-after. It was my secret guilty pleasure that I still indulged in the fantasy of it all, even as an adult. I think it was one of the reasons it was so easy for me to accept that Edward and I would get another chance in another lifetime, because I saw us in those stories; I saw our love in those fictional characters. This was our trial and tribulation, our happily ever after was coming, I just had to be patient. What's one lifetime compared to eternity?

I wouldn't deny, though, that I wanted it for this life, that I wanted him today and yesterday and everyday between now and forever. And there was a small part of me that hoped he was out slaying dragons and befriending dread pirates, that he would find his way back to me.

*~*PoM*~*

Summer faded into fall and fall into winter and life went on. Because that's what it does, even if there were days that you wish that it wouldn't. I was on track to graduate over the summer, and I'd already started sending off applications for Master programs. I even decided to try for the program at Northwestern, in an effort to stay closer to Edward. I didn't know if I would take it if I was accepted, but I wasn't ready to give up all hope yet.

On an insignificant Tuesday in January, I went to class, I came home, and I had tuna salad for lunch, completely unaware that our story was about to take a small, but oh-so-promising turn. There was no twist of intuitive questioning in my stomach, no nagging suspicions, nothing at all telling me that things were about to change.

When my phone rang at a perfectly normal 6:27 that evening, I didn't even question the significance of an unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Um...is this, Isabella, erg, Bella Swan?" a girl on the other end asked, she sounded young and not at all like anyone I knew.

"Yes. Who's this?" I asked with only mild intrigue.

"This is Alice...Alice Cullen. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think you might be my aunt."

I dropped the phone, literally just sat there as it fell to the floor. Of all the people I expected to hear from, Alice was the very last. After a couple of seconds, I realized that she was calling for me and so I picked it back up.

"Sorry, Alice. This is...well, yeah, I'm not even sure what to say."

"I know, and I'm sorry to just call out of the blue, but I just worked up the nerve. I hope I'm not interrupting anything? You aren't busy, are you? Oh god, you are, right? This is totally a bad time; I'm so sorry!"

"Alice!" I laughed, interrupting her rambling. "It's fine, I'm not busy at all. Can I ask you...how you came to find out, I mean, why you think that I'm your aunt?" I knew without a doubt that this was her, but I didn't know if she actually knew anything or was just going off a hunch, hoping I would prove her correct.

"That's actually a very long story, and I only have a minute to talk. Could you - would you want to meet me sometime?"

The answer to that was tricky. I grew up with a cop for a dad and that doesn't come without at least some awareness of laws. There was no way I could legally take Alice anywhere. She was a minor, and I was positive that her parents would have my ass in jail so fast it would make my head spin.

"I...I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Not because I don't want to, please, believe me, I would love to meet you. I don't know how much you know about the relationship between the Cullens and my parents, but it's not at all a pleasant one. I could get into a lot of trouble."

"I know, and I swear I'm not trying to cause problems or get you in trouble. I just want to know about my mother," she said, sounding close to tears before she took a deep breath and continued, "Look, my aunt is going to drop me off at Woodfield Mall on Saturday with some friends. I'll be in the food court at around 11:30. I'm short with dark black hair..."

I cut her off with a whispered, "I know, I've seen your picture."

She didn't seem at all surprised, quietly laughing out, "Yeah, I figured as much."

We talked for a couple more minutes, and I told her I would try to be there, but the truth was, I knew I would be. I was finally going to meet Alice...Rosalie's daughter.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! So, she gets to meet Alice. What did you guys think?

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. :) Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	7. Chapter 7

Pieces of Me

Part 7

I had no idea how it was possible for time to simultaneously speed up and slow down, but the time between receiving the phone call and when I was to meet Alice, it did just that. Those three and a half days were both the longest and shortest of my life. I debated calling my parents and telling them, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was that Alice wanted to do. I didn't know if she just wanted to hear about Rosalie and then move on or if she was hoping for contact with my family. I didn't want to get my parents' hopes up, only to realize that they were in no different a situation than they'd always been. I also didn't know if the Cullens knew that Alice had contacted me, or if they even knew I was in Chicago.

But the very idea of meeting Alice made me almost giddy. She was a part of Rosalie, a piece of my sister who I had only known for such a short time of my life, and yet had shaped almost every important decision I'd ever made. More importantly, Alice was a missing piece of my family that there was actually a chance of bringing back.

Underneath it all, though, was also a desperate need to get some answers of my own regarding Edward, how he was and what he'd been up to...if he had found any comfort at all from the constant ache that I was sure we shared over the five months we'd been separated. I did everything I could to keep at bay the mounting hope that Alice could provide some sort of solution for us. I knew I was putting too much weight and importance on this meeting of a virtual stranger, but I didn't know how to stop it. I could only hope that it didn't crush me when it inevitably didn't turn out as I hoped. I had to remember this was a sixteen-year-old girl; it wasn't her responsibility to bring back my missing pieces. But even that didn't stop the hope that despite it all, she would.

*~*PoM*~*

I arrived at the mall at 11:00 on Saturday, hoping to beat Alice there, but she was already waiting for me. It was actually a relief that I wasn't the only one anxious for this meeting. I stood off to the side for a minute, observing her as she sat alone at a table, fiddling nervously with her cell phone. The first thing I noticed was her height. It's hard to gauge something like that from a picture, but it definitely caught me off-guard. Both Rosalie and Emmett were exceptionally tall and yet this girl was quite short. The other thing I saw was that she seemed to be in constant motion, crossing and uncrossing her legs, twisting in her seat to scan the area, probably looking for me; in the two minutes I watched her, she was never still once.

Finally, I took a deep breath and crossed the sea of tables, making my way over to her.

"Alice?" I asked to get her attention.

Her head immediately snapped in my direction. "Bella?" She jumped up before I had a chance to answer, throwing her arms around me and holding onto me with more strength than I would have assumed she had. I gripped her just as tightly. After several beats, we pulled away, laughing nervously.

"So, um, do you want to sit down?" she asked politely.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds good."

"You're much younger..."

"I can't believe how much you look..."

We both began at the same time, stopping and laughing uncomfortably, again.

I gestured toward her. "You go first," I said, smiling reassuringly.

"I was just saying that you're much younger than I had thought an aunt would be. I mean, I've never had an aunt, so what do I know," she said.

My brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you said your aunt was dropping you off today?"

"Oh, yeah, well, Aunt Esme is technically my great-aunt, I guess. She's married to Uncle Carlisle, who's Grandpa's youngest brother," she paused slightly, giving me a sly look before saying in a knowing tone, "Edward is their kid."

My heart stuttered in my chest at the mention of his name. It was the first time I'd heard it in five long months. I wasn't sure what to say, once again realizing that I didn't know exactly how much Alice knew.

She broke the silence, though. "So, what were you going to say before?"

"I was just going to say how much you look like the pictures of Rosalie when she was younger...and my mom, too." And she did, it was kind of eerie how her facial features exactly mirrored her mother, who looked a lot like our mother. Alice didn't say anything, and when I looked at her closely, I could see tears glistening in her eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just, you said you wanted to hear about her, so I figured you would, you know, want to talk about her."

She shook her head, wiping her eyes in embarrassment. "No, it's not your fault. I just never really got to hear about her before. My grandparents love me, I know that, but talking about my parents is hard for them. At least with Dad, I can talk to Aunt Esme or Uncle Carlisle, but they didn't really know my mom. I didn't realize she had family that was still alive. I don't know anything about her, I mean, I've only ever seen a few pictures of her, even."

That reminded me of the book bag that I'd brought with me; I'd gathered the few pictures I had here in Chicago with me. Mostly it was pictures of my sister and I when I was really small, when she still lived at home. But I had thought maybe Alice would appreciate seeing them, nonetheless. I almost reached for them to show her right away but decided against it. There were things I needed to know first.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, how did you find out about our family? And how did you get my number?" I asked as gently as I could.

She sat up straighter at that, shaking off the somber mood that was threatening to envelop us. "Um, back in October, I overheard a fight between Grandpa and Edward. I kept hearing names I didn't recognize - Charlie, Renee, and you - mixed in with my mom and dad's names. Grandpa told him to leave, that he wasn't having that conversation with him again. When Edward was leaving, he was so angry, and he didn't see me standing there, he yelled into the house, 'Alice has a right to know; you can't keep her from them forever!'

"I tried to talk to Grandpa about it, but he blew me off, and Grandma said she didn't know what they were talking about. I knew they were lying, but I didn't know why or over what. I wanted to talk to Edward about it, but he wasn't around much after that. I didn't get a chance to talk to him alone until Christmas.

"As soon as I asked who they were, he told me. It was...a shock. I had always assumed that my mom's family was dead or something, because no one ever mentioned them. To know you guys were alive...and you might want to know me, that was an amazing feeling," she finished, a small smile playing on her lips.

"You have no idea how much we've wanted to meet you. You have always been a part of our family, even though we weren't allowed to see you," I reassured her.

We sat there in an awkward silence for a moment, not knowing what to say next. I don't think either of us were ready to get into the details of exactly why we were separated. I decided to ask the question that had been burning in my mind since her phone call. "So, how did you come to find me? Did," I paused, swallowing thickly, "did Edward give you my number?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, he said...he said you were an amazing person and that he knew we would be really good friends. I, um, I hope that was okay? He doesn't know I'm here. Actually, the only person who knows I'm here is my aunt."

My eyes went wide. "Your _aunt_ knows you're here...with me?"

"Yeah, she was suspicious when I asked her to bring me to the mall instead of asking Grandma, and she wouldn't bring me unless I told her the truth. She thought I was meeting a boy or something. I'm not allowed to ride in the car with any of my friends, so I couldn't come without my aunt or grandma bringing me. Aunt Esme didn't seem surprised that you live here...I think Edward had already told her." She added in the last part and looked up at me, obviously gauging my reaction.

When it became obvious that I wasn't going to respond, she changed the subject. "So will you tell me about my other grandparents?"

I think we were both grateful for the new direction. And so I spent the next little while just telling her about myself and my parents. I didn't want to bring up Rosalie again until she did; I figured that needed to be on her own time, seeing how she reacted before. She was listening intently, absorbing everything. Occasionally, she stopped me when she wanted clarification on something or if she felt it explained something about herself. When I told her my mom painted, she practically bounced in her seat.

"I'm really good at drawing! No one else in my family is, so it was kind of a weird thing to be good at, but I bet I got it from your mom!"

I opened my mouth to tell her something, but hesitated, not wanting to upset her.

"What?" she asked curiously. I smiled sadly at her and she understood. "Oh. You...you can talk about her, if you want. I want to know her," she whispered.

I nodded in understanding. "Rosalie was really good at drawing, too. My mom showed me some of her stuff, and it was amazing. She...had this way of taking a scene and drawing what she felt looking at it, not just the things in front of her."

"What was she like?" Alice asked hesitantly.

"You have to understand, I was fifteen years younger than her. By the time I was old enough to remember her, she had already married your dad and moved out of our house. Mostly what I remember are feelings or glimpses of her. One of the only really clear memories I have was when you were born."

Alice perked up at that, her curiosity obvious.

"I was six then. She was in the hospital bed, holding you while I sat beside her. I remember thinking how tiny you were and that it seemed impossible that I was ever that small. She looked at you like you were the whole world. It was just so obvious how much she loved you. And your dad looked so proud of you and Rosalie. I can still remember just how much love there was between the two of them for you.

"I remember she always made me laugh and that she was silly with me. She never treated me like I was a bother. I remember always feeling like I was important to her. Never doubt how much they loved you, Alice, you were _everything_ to them. I was a kid, and even I knew that."

It's funny how you don't realize how much you really remember until you talk about it. I had forgotten about how important I always felt when she was around.

When I looked back up at Alice, she wore the most beautiful smile and had tears streaming down her face. She jumped from her chair and ran around to me, throwing her arms around me for the second time in an hour.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I can't tell you how much having just small pieces of her means to me."

I hugged her back fiercely, smoothing her hair down, whispering, "I know _exactly_ what you mean."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! So, this was by far the longest chapter in the story. What did you guys think of their meeting?

I am behind on review replies, I'm so sorry! I'm going to work today to get caught up, but please don't think I'm ungrateful if it takes me a few days. I truly appreciate every word you guys choose to share with me. :)

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. :) Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	8. Chapter 8

Pieces of Me

Part 8

For the second time, I was keeping something important from my parents, but, this time at least, I thought they might understand. Alice and I talked about my parents in general terms, but neither of us broached the subject of her meeting them. I didn't want to offer either of them something that I wasn't in a position to actually bring to fruition. I further justified this all to myself that Alice would be an adult in just a few years and free to make her own decisions, and at least this way, she knew how to get in contact with my parents when she was able to. I could only hope that the rest of her family would eventually be as accepting as her aunt apparently was.

I met Esme Cullen the same day I met Alice. She approached us in the food court when she came to pick up Alice, gave me a hug and thanked me for talking to Alice. Just before she left, she whispered to me, "Please don't give up, sometimes these things just take time to work themselves out. He misses you every day." I had nodded my understanding, saying back, lowly, "I miss him, too."

There was definitely some comfort and hope, in knowing that not all the Cullens shared Alice's grandparents' hatred of my family.

*~*PoM*~*

Alice and I had quickly become close. It made me happy to think that this was exactly the kind of relationship that we would have had if Rosalie had lived. I truly hoped that my sister would have been proud of me; there was no doubt that she would have been proud of Alice.

We frequently texted each other during the day, and she called when she was able. We talked often about her mother, and I relayed the stories that I had grown up with, all the small details I had mentally collected over the years in an effort to get to know my sister. It was incredibly freeing to have someone to share them with, someone who cherished them as much as I did.

I had chosen not to share the pictures with Alice that first meeting; I was afraid of overwhelming her. When I did finally show her them, she had spent almost the whole time we were together just staring at them silently, memorizing every detail. I had sent her home with some of my favorites, and though I was loathe to let them go, to relinquish even a small piece of Rosalie, the look on Alice's face as she held them to her chest let me know that I had made the right choice. If there was anyone else in this world who understood just how precious these little pieces were, it was Alice.

For her part, she fed my obsessive need to know how Edward was doing. She would weave details about his life into her stories, subtly sharing the information I was desperate for, without ever making me feel self-conscious. We never talked about it; she seemed to understand that I _couldn't_ talk about it. Sharing memories of Rosalie made them grow stronger, firmer until they were shared truths. Sharing memories of Edward would only make me question them. Talking about it would force logic to a relationship that defied logic; nothing about my connection with Edward made sense - it was truly the stuff of fairy tales. And I needed to hold on to the dream of it all, the fantasy, because it was my sanity and my salvation. Without it, continuing to live this half-life was pointless.

And so things continued for weeks, I grew closer to Alice and kept tabs on Edward, while working closer towards graduation. I had been accepted to Northwestern, and the only question that remained was did I stay here, holding out hope or did I make a conscious choice to move on. I didn't know how it was going to happen, but I inherently trusted Esme when she had said that it would work out. I just tried to be patient in the mean time.

I felt like I was living in stasis, waiting, constantly waiting, for something to happen, some cornerstone decision to be made that would set this whole scene in motion. Until suddenly I was no longer waiting for something to change and everything was in motion.

My phone rang one evening at the end of February, I was expecting Alice, so I didn't even bother checking the caller ID. When a distinctly masculine voice greeted me instead, I was immediately on edge.

"Isabella Swan? This is Arthur Cullen...Alice's grandfather," he said awkwardly. My heart seized, and every fear I had about this whole situation loomed large, towering over me, threatening to topple over and suffocate me with just one word from this man.

Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I replied, "Yes, sir."

"I understand that you and Alice have been talking for over a month now, is that correct?"

Fuck.

"Yes...yes, sir. I just want you to know, Mr. Cullen, that I never meant to overstep lines or boundaries or whatever. I just want to know my sister's daughter. I haven't even told my parents I had met her because I didn't want to cause problems."

He didn't speak for a moment, and I waited on edge. Finally, he took a deep breath and went on, "That's exactly what Alice said, too. She speaks very highly of you, as does my nephew." He said the last part sounding slightly bemused. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly Edward had been telling his family - they all seemed to already know all about me.

"Well, I think very highly of Alice...and Edward." I tried not to falter over his name, but it was difficult.

"Yes, well, I'm calling for a reason. Alice is insistent on meeting your parents, and her grandmother and I have decided that she's old enough to make that decision for herself. We are willing to allow your parents to spend time with her here in Chicago, with the condition that there will be no changes in her custody. She lives here, this is where she was raised and where all her friends are; we plan to keep it that way." He paused, waiting for me to reply.

"I...I understand. I'll have to speak to them, of course, but I'm fairly certain that they'll agree. Can I call you back in the next few days and let you know?" I was completely shocked by the offer. I could only hope that my parents were able to overlook the custody stipulation and put Alice before their old grudge.

"Of course, tell them to take whatever time they need to decide."

"Okay. Um, thank you, Mr. Cullen, really. This means a lot to my family."

We said an awkward goodbye, and I hung up the phone.

For the first time in six months, there were tangible reasons to believe that Edward and I would have a chance. That thought alone quelled the apprehension that had started turning in my stomach at the thought of the coming phone call to my parents.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! Bella has quite the phone call to make to her parents, eh? Be sure to let me know what you're thinking! :)

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	9. Chapter 9

Pieces of Me

Part 9

I had almost expected Edward to be at my door as soon as I got off the phone with Alice's grandfather. I was positive that his entire family would have already known about it. I was relieved when he wasn't. The next time I was with him, it would be proudly and with my head held high. For that to happen, there was a conversation I needed to have with my parents that I'd been putting off for over a year.

Edward had slayed his dragons, now it was my turn.

*~*PoM*~*

The phone rang in my ear a few times before my mom picked up. As she greeted me, I could hear her working in the kitchen and the sound of Sports Center turned up loudly in the background. They were the sounds of home and they comforted me, reminding me that my parents loved me, and while I was about to reveal my betrayal, I was also about to share with them some amazing news.

"Bella, honey? Did you hear a word I just said?" my mom asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I have a lot on my mind. There's actually something I needed to talk to you and Daddy about. Are you both able to talk now?" I tried to sound upbeat, but I was pretty sure I sounded just as close to throwing up as I felt.

"Yeah, of course. Hold on, I just need to shut off the burners."

I heard her moving around again and calling to my dad, "Charlie, turn off the TV. Bella wants to talk." She covered the phone and I could only hear her muffled voice talking to him. After a minute, I heard the line clear and Mom said, "Okay, honey, I've got you on speaker. What did you need to talk about?"

The apprehension was back, deep and churning in my stomach, closing off my throat and making the words impossible to form. So many things I needed to say, but I hated the idea that they would look at me differently after this. Because even though it looked like it might turn out okay, I didn't go into it for that. My motives for being with Edward were completely selfish, getting to meet Alice was a happy coincidence.

"Um, I have some really good news, but first...there's some stuff I need to tell you. And I need you to promise to listen before you freak out, okay?"

My mom agreed readily, my dad sounded unsure, but agreed so I would start talking.

"Last February, I met someone, and I fell in love with him. He is amazing, and he made me incredibly happy. He's everything I've ever wanted and so, so much more." I stopped to try to stem my tears and clear my throat. I couldn't believe how much it hurt to talk about how perfect Edward was, how much I loved him.

My parents took the opportunity to start speaking.

"Are you pregnant?" my dad asked with a tight voice.

"That's wonderful, sweetheart. What's his name?" my mom asked, though her question was deceptively innocent. She knew something was up because I kept it from them.

I laughed bitterly. "No, Dad, I'm definitely not pregnant."

"Who is it, Bella?" my mom asked again, this time more forcefully.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Whatever their reaction, I deserved it.

"Edward Cullen."

There was a pause, a single beat before my dad erupted.

"Over my dead body!" Dad yelled. "That family took everything from us, I'll be fucking damned if they get you, too! What were thinking, Bella?"

Tears continued to course down my cheeks and dripping off my chin; I didn't even both trying to stop them. "I know. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall in love with him - it just happened. We tried to find a way to tell you and his family, but...there just wasn't."

He was deathly silent by this point, evidently too angry to even continue yelling. My mom, who hadn't really said anything yet, finally spoke. "What happened?"

People often mistook my mother's constant motion and movement as flakiness. In reality, she was one of the most observant people I had ever known and had a way of reducing things down to the important parts.

"We broke up," I whispered, "back in August. It hurt too much to keep hiding, but I couldn't hurt you guys by telling you. Edward wanted to tell both of our families, he wanted to from the beginning, but I just...I was scared, I didn't want to hurt you."

"Oh, baby girl," my mom said, trying to comfort me.

My dad scoffed. "And you're hoping that maybe now I'll just forget what the Cullens did? Nothing's changed, Bella."

"Actually, everything's changed. That's why I'm calling, that's the whole reason for putting us both through this. After Edward and I broke up, I got a call in January...from Alice. He gave her my number. I've been talking to her for the last month..."

My dad interrupted me, "Something else..." but I quickly cut him off.

"Let me finish! Please. I promise there's a point, I just needed you to know everything because I'm tired of lying about it, but also because I need you to trust me when I say that there's no ulterior motives here. They have nothing to gain. Please," I begged him.

He grunted out an agreement and I went on. "I got a call last night from Arthur Cullen. Alice finally convinced them to let her meet you guys. You can fly out here whenever you're ready. He had a small condition, though," I said hesitantly. This last part was the most delicate. I knew how stubborn my dad could be, and it would be easy for him to lose sight of what was important in favor of what he saw as fair.

"Of course he does," he sneered. "Aurthur Cullen would never do anything out of the kindness of his heart."

"He just said that you are welcome to come to Chicago and talk to Alice, spend as much time as you'd like with her here, but he said it's with the stipulation that you don't fight the custody arrangements."

I could feel the tension from my dad, even over the phone. He was pissed. And then I heard my mom's gentle crying.

"Renee?" Dad's voice came out much gentler than I would have expected.

"I'm going to get to meet my granddaughter, Charlie. Rosie's daughter." I could hear my mom's muffled voice and imagined that she was resting her head on my dad's chest.

And with just a word from my mother, my dad let go of the past. "Yeah, yeah, you are," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! This is the chapter that made my pre-readers tear up the most. What did you guys think? :)

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	10. Chapter 10

Pieces of Me

Part 10

I called Mr. Cullen back the next day to let him know that my parents would be here the next week, confirming that they'd agreed to the condition. After that, Alice called me squealing; I could practically hear her bouncing in happiness. I was very happy for everyone, so relieved that after all this time, there might be some resolution and closure. I was thrilled that my parents were going to get back some of what they lost that night so many years ago. And the reality was, I couldn't imagine that this ever would have worked out any other way. There truly was no other solution.

But I couldn't stop myself from worrying that all of this happiness was at the expense of mine, that too much time had passed, and too much reality had infiltrated the fantasy, and we could never get back to where we were.

*~*PoM*~*

I drove my parents from my apartment towards Edward's parents' house. It had been decided that it would be best for Alice to be somewhere she was comfortable, but best for everyone else if it wasn't her grandparents' house. A tense, expectant silence filled the car, all of us lost in our own thoughts. I was sure that my parents were thinking of Alice. They had talked to her on the phone several time in the last week, getting to know her before they met her in person.

My own thoughts were centered solely around Edward. Would he be there? Would he want to see me?

All too soon, we were pulling up the driveway of their house. There was nothing remarkable about it on the outside, just a normal suburban house, but inside...inside were answers to questions, missing pieces, and the keys to the future. Esme stood on the porch, her arm wrapped around a very nervous looking Alice. My mother didn't even wait for the car to come to a full stop before she jumped out, walking quickly towards the pair. I parked the car and watched as Alice hesitantly put her arms around my mom. I saw my mom whisper something in Alice's ear and suddenly, Alice's natural exuberance came out and she was holding onto my mom tightly, with a huge grin spread across her face.

My dad left the car more slowly, ambling up the side walk, obviously giving my mom space and trying not to overwhelm Alice. Once Mom stepped aside to make room for him, he swept Alice up in a hug as she clung to his neck.

I sat in the car, needing a moment to collect myself. I hadn't seen any sign of Edward yet, and I was trying to convince my heart and stomach that might not mean anything. Maybe his car was in the garage, or maybe his parents had picked him up...or maybe he wasn't coming. After all, we still hadn't spoken, though I knew for a fact that he knew I would be here, Alice had made a point of telling me.

I watched as the front door was opened and my parents were ushered inside; my mom looked back at me questioningly, but I just held up my finger, telling her I would be a minute. She smiled at me reassuringly before turning to follow Dad and Alice inside with Esme right behind them. I wasn't jealous or worried about being replaced, I had over a month with Alice to myself, it was my parents' turn now. No, I was just scared. Still.

A tap on the window caused me to jump, letting out a startled yelp. Whipping my head towards the sound, I was met with a sheepish looking Edward. He opened the door while I reached down to unbuckle my seat belt. He grabbed my hand, and I followed him around the house towards the back yard. Neither of us had said a word yet.

Once we were around where we couldn't be seen from inside, Edward stopped and turned towards me. The still-cold air bit at my exposed skin, and our breaths puffed out in matching clouds.

"I know we have a lot to talk about, but can I kiss you first? Please?" His lips were hovering just above mine, giving me the chance to say no, giving me a choice. Except that this time, there wasn't one. Maybe there never had been.

I reached up, closing the slight distance and met his lips with mine. They were exactly as I'd remembered, as I'd dreamed, warm and soft, slightly sweet, but all boy. I could tell that we both wanted to deepen it, wanted more, but after so much time apart, it seemed a better idea to talk first. This time we were doing this right.

After a few more moments of gentle, chaste kisses across my lips and eyes and cheeks and anywhere else Edward could reach, we pulled away.

"I missed you, Bella, so much," he said, nuzzling into my neck, his chilled nose causing me to shiver as it touched the skin that had previously been hidden by my scarf.

"I missed you, too, Edward, every day."

We went back inside then, both too cold to stay out anymore, and knowing that soon our absence would be noticed. The atmosphere inside was almost celebratory, not the awkward tension one would have expected. But, really, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It was like I told Alice when we first met, she'd always been a part of our family, even when she wasn't there.

My time alone with Edward was limited while my parents were in town, and in some ways, it was for the best. We knew each other in solitude, when it was just the two of us holed up in a room, but we had never had the chance to learn about each other among other people. I enjoyed seeing him interact with his parents and Alice. My mom warmed up to him right away; when she saw that he loved me, that was all she needed to know.

My dad was another story. I knew he saw Edward as not just the man who was obviously going to be taking his daughter, but as an embodiment of all the pain that his family had inflicted on mine. Both Edward and I knew it would take time to work to alter that view, if we were ever able to. But by this point, my father's opinion didn't mater. I had Edward back, there wasn't a chance in hell that I would ever give him up again, not even for my dad.

By the time my parents' visit was over, there was a visible change in them. They both looked younger, happier, more alive. So much of the sadness that they'd carried with them for as long as I could remember had been replaced with a quiet joy. I had never felt closer to my sister, knowing that it was all because they had been reunited with her child. I think she would have been proud.

After I dropped them off at the airport, I made my way to Edward's apartment where he was waiting for me. For the first time ever, we were alone but not hiding. I had no idea how heavily that had weighed on us both.

We were sitting on the couch, simply being together in the quiet after all the chaos of being with our families. It occurred to me that I hadn't said something to him that I should have already.

"I don't think I ever thanked you," I said.

"For what?" he asked, his words tickling the shell of my ear.

"You were strong when I couldn't be, when I was too afraid to move. You found a way for us out of an impossible situation."

"I could say the same thing of you, love." I could hear the smile in his voice, but also the conviction.

My brow furrowed and I snorted. "Right, running away was so strong."

He turned me around to face him, then brushed my hair behind my ears and took my cheeks gently between his hands. "Don't for one second discount what you did for us. I wanted you no matter who I hurt. I was selfish. You wouldn't let me just bully my way into what I wanted. _You_ were strong enough to see beyond immediate gratification. Now, instead of our families being torn even more apart, they both have a chance at healing. _You_ are the reason for that."

I started to argue, but he silenced me with a brush of his lips. That was all we needed to remember all the other ways we hadn't been reunited, and soon we were both lost in the movement of lips against flesh and hands exploring and remembering.

When we were both mostly naked, panting and wanting, Edward lifted me up and carried me to his bed. The experience of just being here when we made love was one I wasn't certain I would have. To know that we never had to be together like this anywhere else was overwhelming. Neither of us had the patience for teasing and worshipping, those things would come later, for now we needed each other too much, having been denied this experience for far too long.

We quickly finished removing our clothes and I laid back, open in every way, waiting for him as he he settled over me. His eyes burned a vibrant sparking green, promises of everything that was to come, everything that we would have. He whispered his love as he sank slowly into me, and I whispered mine as I tightened my legs around his waist.

Finally, my body was home, my heart was home. As he moved above me and inside of me and around me, I could feel all the lives we'd lived and had yet to live converge into this one point of time, this one perfect moment, and we were whole. And I knew for absolute certain that no matter the lifetime, no matter the age, Edward and I would always find each other, we would always find a way. We were forever.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! So, what did you guys think? Do you think it could have worked out if they'd been honest from the beginning or do you think Bella was right and this was the only way? The last chapter is an epilogue of sorts. If you've read any of my other stories, you know that epilogues are the only way I can do anything remotely fluffy, lol.

There is a banner for PoM now, it's linked in my profile. Go look!

Also, if you aren't reading Kas90's Strawberry Wine, you should be! It's so sweet and angsty and just, gah. So, so good!

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. :) Until tomorrow ~Kimberly


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I updated twice yesterday, so if you didn't read both chapters, go see them first. :) This is the end of the story.

Pieces of Me

Epilogue

I woke up from a sound sleep with a start, something was wrong, I'd been asleep for too long. Jumping from the bed, my body protesting the sudden movement, I rushed to the other side of the room and peeked into the bassinet, only to find it empty. Logically I knew that newborns didn't get up and walk off and that since Edward wasn't in bed with me then, chances were he had taken Emma out of the room when she woke up. Logic doesn't have any control over hormones, though, and until I actually saw our ten-day-old daughter, I wouldn't be able to calm my racing heart.

I walked out to the living room to see Edward curled up with Emma on his chest, the two of them dozing in the recliner watching an infomercial. Edward's hand rested protectively on her tiny body, holding her in place. I stood watching them, unnoticed from the doorway.

Edward and I got married the fall after Alice had been reunited with my family. Neither of us saw a reason to delay the inevitable. We had been married just over two years when I found out I was pregnant last year. It was kind of a hectic time for us, we were both in our last year of grad school, me for Journalism, him for Music Education. Between our classes and teaching schedules, we rarely saw each other as it was, so to find out that we'd somehow managed to time things right and have failed birth control was kind of a shock.

But once the shock wore off, we were both ecstatic. We were still living in Chicago, so his parents were a huge help - his mom especially was amazing. She cooked for us constantly and just in general did whatever she could to make our lives easier so that we could concentrate on finishing school before the baby was born.

I would never forget the day that we had the twenty week ultrasound. Edward, Esme, Alice, and my mom were all crowded into the tiny room with me, peering at the indistinguishable blob on the screen, randomly calling out body parts, much to the amusement of the tech. Finally, after she had gotten the measurements and other information that she needed, the room fell silent as she tried to get the baby to open it's legs. Just as we were about to give up, the baby suddenly splayed her legs open and flashed us all. The tech announced it was a girl, and every one of us cried.

I had her name already picked out; Edward and I had decided what we wanted, but we hadn't told anyone yet. First I had needed to talk to Alice. So, after the ultrasound appointment, I took Alice aside and asked her permission. It was her right to honor her parents, I didn't want to take that from her if it was something she wanted, but she immediately agreed. And so, the baby, previously known as 'the little nudger', became Emma Rose.

Edward calling my name brought me out of thought, and I realized that he was trying to get up from the recliner. I walked over and gently lifted our daughter into my arms, running my nose along her head and inhaling her scent. As soon as she realized that she had been moved closer to her food, she began rooting around and fussing.

"Come on, love, let's get her back to bed," Edward said sleepily.

I nodded and wordlessly followed him into our room. Once we were all positioned in bed, Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind, careful not to disturb the nursing Emma attached to my front. There, literally surrounded by my whole world, I settled in for the night, more content than I'd ever thought possible.

*~*PoM*~*

**Somewhere in the world, many, many years later**

A little boy and a little girl meet on a playground and become best friends, inseparable and constant. They grow and change until they fall in love, deep and true, as teenagers. Years later, on their wedding day, the woman looks into the eyes of her love, her soul's other half and says, "I was born to love you, and I will one day die only to love you again." And she will, because they are forever.

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><p>AN: And they all lived Happily Ever After. The End. :) I don't usually do the whole marriage and baby epilogue, but I figured if there was ever a BxE that kind of epi fit it was these two. I hope you enjoyed it! :)

Thank you guys, truly, for all your kind words, it's meant a lot to me! I know this was a really short story, so it meant even more to me that you all would take the time to let me know what you were thinking along the way.

I'm working on an EPOV of the story, since several readers have asked about what was going on on his side. I'm not sure when it will post, but put my on author alert or you can follow me on twitter (Morethanmyself), and I'll post when it's done.

Thanks to the usual suspects, Kas90 for beta'ing, Sammielynnsmom for pre-reading and KrisScott for the prompt.

I own nothing. ~Kimberly


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